Denver will be seeing its share of stars in the coming months, starting May 8 when Tony Bennett headlines the Colorado Symphony Ball. US Bank chief Hassan Salem and his wife, Sheila, are chairing the dinner event. It’ll be at the Sheraton Denver Downtown with tickets available from Jason Hurley at the CSO office, 303-308-2475.
Next up: Country/crossover sensation (five Academy of Country Music Awards, two Grammys) Lee Ann Womack. The artist perhaps best known for her 2000 country/pop chart-topper, “I Hope You Dance,” is here for the June 26 Giddy-Up Gala, which benefits The Children’s Hospital. It’ll be at Crooked Willow Farms, a 90-acre spread west of Larkspur. Triple Crown sponsorship is $50,000 and includes two VIP tables of 10 and a meet-and-greet with Womack. Find out more by visiting thechildrenshospitalfoundation.org/giddyup
On Aug. 21, Lionel Richie headlines Lulu’s Barkin’ BBQ, the benefit Fred and Jana Bartlit host every year for the Denver Dumb Friends League. It’s held in a huge tent set up on the grounds of their Castle Pines spread, and also features a chuckwagon dinner prepared by Texas barbecue chef Tom Perini. Tickets go on sale June 15; get more info by visiting lulusbbq@ddfl.org
Last but not least, late-night yakker Jay Leno is going to emcee the Children’s Hospital Gala. All we know at this point is that it’s going to be on Sept. 11. But when we know more, so will you.

Terrance Carroll, speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, is one of the Plain & Fancy People of the Year

Terrance Carroll, speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, is one of five community leaders to be honored as Plain & Fancy People of the Year by Metropolitan State College of Denver. He will accept the award Sept. 25 during the Plain & Fancy Ball held at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Joining him as co-honorees are Pat Cortez, senior vice president at Wells Fargo Bank; Leo Kiely, chief executive officer at MillerCoors, an emeritus member of Metro’s governing board and past chair of the Metro State Foundation; Adele Phelan, president emeritus of the Clayton Foundation and chair of the Metro State board of trustees; and Ray Sutton, Jr., managing partner at Baker Hostetler. Sutton also is a Metro State trustee and past chair of the foundation.
In addition to recognizing the Plain & Fancy People of Year, the evening will include a tribute to the Plain & Fancy Ball’s founder, the late Harry Gianneschi, founder and vice president of Metro’s office of institutional advancement. He served there from 1984 to 1991 and succumbed to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in October, 2009.
“The Plain & Fancy Ball has become a Metro State tradition, and we are thrilled to recognize our honorees,” says president Stephen M. Jordan. “We feel we have struck the right chord with this event, as there isn’t a more memorable and fun black-tie affair that raises critical funds for higher education.”
Formerly an annual event, the Plain & Fancy Ball is now celebrated every five years to commemorate milestones in the college’s history while recognizing key supporters and contributors. This year’s event will celebrate Metro State’s 45th anniversary.
Since its start in 1988, the Plain & Fancy Ball has honored numerous local notables from sports and entertainment to education and politics, including Mayor John Hickenlooper, former Gov. Roy Romer, former Denver Broncos head coach Dan Reeves and Denver’s former first lady, Wilma Webb. The honorees are selected by a committee made up of Metro board members, volunteers and alumni.
The event has netted nearly $300,000 for scholarships and academic programs. Its zaniness stems from the unique dress code, which includes everything from plain jeans and cowboy boots to fancy formals and stilettos. Everyone, though, is required to wear the bow tie provided at the door.
The ties feature a commemorative design unique to that year’s event. This year internationally acclaimed artist Malcolm Farley, a Metro State alumnus, has been asked to design the signature bow ties. His “Commitment to philanthropy, combined with his unique ability to capture the moment with his art, makes him a perfect choice for this task,” Jordan says.
For additional information, call 303-556-8320 or visit www.mscd.edu/plainandfancy/.

There isn’t a country music fan out there (at least I don’t think there is) who doesn’t know that Brooks is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. Sales figures change from minute to minute, but at the end of 2009, it was determined that 68,363,000 copies of his recordings had been sold, which is 7 million copies ahead of the Beatles. His last tour, in 1996-98, had 350 performances in 100 cities that were seen by 5.3 million fans. A 1993 Super Bowl appearance was seen by 1 billion television viewers around the world.

Plenty of fans were disappointed when Brooks said he was going to retire so that he could spend more time with his family. He didn’t disappear entirely; the occasional charity gig, and the big pre-inauguration show on the National Mall for President Barack Obama helped keep him in the public eye. Then, this past December, he launched a five-year deal to perform weekends at the Wynn Las Vegas.

So how did he wind up on the National Western Events Center stage last Saturday, performing in celebration of Denver Health’s 150th anniversary?

A fashionable strapless dress made from paper earned Olivia Barry a first place prize in an Earth Day themed eco-chic competition held at Twenty Ninth Street in Boulder.

Olivia Barry with her winning dress.

Barry, who lives in Boulder, Taylor Palmie of Louisville and Paula Bush from Colorado Springs had one hour to build their dresses, and the results were judged on stylishness, wearability/functionality, craftsmanship, creativity and use of recyclable materials. Barry’s dress had a paper skirt and an eco-friendly dyed ace bandage for the top, along with a chain for the halter effect. For the headband, she attached a flower made from a soda can to a plastic headband. Taylor only newspaper and Paula created her look from newspaper and trash bags.
Barry received a $500 American Express GIVE Style gift card; and the other two contestants got $50 American Express gift cards. The dresses will be on display through May 16 in the space next to the Levi’s store at Twenty Ninth Street in Boulder with the Center for ReSource Conservation.

Another successful effort was Gap’s “Recycle Your Blues” denim drive. More than 270,000 pairs of jeans were donated nationwide, 6,500 pairs of which were turned in at Colorado stores (in exchange, customers got discount coupons for new jeans). The donated denim will be converted into cotton Fiber housing insulation for 500 homes in underserved communities and for special projects.

It’s been 50 years since the McNichols Building has been open to the public, and last week several hundred civic leaders were treated to a mid-project look at the handsome Greek Revival structure that will be the principal venue for Biennial of the Americas, a month-long “World’s Fair of art and ideas” expected to once again put Denver in the international spotlight.
Biennial of the Americas opens July 1, and the 28,000-square-foot McNichols Building will host “The Nature of Things,” central exhibit in the comprehensive showcase of what lead curator Paola Santoscoy describes as “never before seen contemporary arts and cultural programming from countries thoughout the Americas.”
Mayor John Hickenlooper told guests that the Biennial will be “The most important international event held here since the Summit of the Eight. The best way to build bridges of understanding is through culture, and the Biennial will deepen our connection to our neighbors and work to build a shared vision for the hemisphere.”
But beyond all of that, Hickenlooper said, the celebration will “Put this magnificent building back into public use. It will breathe life back into Civic Center Park, and that is very important for Denver.”
The McNichols Building began as a Carnegie Library and then was used for municipal office space.
“The empty interior shell of the McNichols Building will be the hub of the Biennial of the Americas, demonstrating, in the short-term, the kind of cultural programming and energy this building could inspire,” adds Lindy Eichenbaum-Lent, who heads the Civic Center Conservancy.Blake Skinner, Chris Frampton, Christy Owen, Jill Dines and Marcela de la Mar chaired the Hard Hat Gala; honorary chairmen were Mexican Consul Eduardo Arnal, Canadian Consul Dale Eisler and Hickenlooper.
Working with a bare-bones budget, Bradley Joseph of Silver Spur Productions enlisted a cadre of volunteers to make the empty interior more party-friendly. The Museum of Outdoor Arts, members of the Book Babes book club and artist Lonnie Hanzon all pitched in. “Putting this together was like one of those design-on-a-dime reality shows,” Joseph confided. “But you’ve got to admit it looks pretty good.”
Mezcal, Great Northern Tavern, Famous Dave’s and Three Tomatoes all supplied food, and the entertainment included music by DJ RIPM and DJ Shake One — plus a surprise appearance by the guerilla concert band Boba Fete.
Comfortable clothing was encouraged and several of the 494 guests were costumed according to the theme. Lois Paul, for example, wore an orange reflective vest, rhinestone-studded safety goggles and a feather boa (“For good measure,” she said). Her purse: A hard hat carried upside down.
Air Force Academy physics professor Mark Mayer secured an oversize pinwheel to the top of his hard hat.
Renovation architect Mike Moore was there, along with several members of the Denver City Council, City Auditor Dennis Gallagher, state Sen. Chris Romer and such civic figures as Kevin Patterson, James Mejia, Jim Polsfut, Elbra Wedgeworth, Fabby Hillyard, Jayne Buck, Donna Good, Erin Trapp, Jill Crow, Tom Botelho, Zee Ferrufino, Jose Mercado, Lonnie Hanzon, Tom Gougeon, Cynthia Madden Leitner, Doug Jackson, Lee McIntyre, Luella Chavez D’Angelo, Elaine Asarch, Dr. Dean Prina and Myles Mendoza.
Also, Paul Esserman, Dave McKlveen, Deidre Toltz, Matt Keeney, Amy Harmon, Felicia Diamond, BJ Dyer, Guenther Vogt, Peggy Beck, Jonathan Alpert, Will LaBahn, Chris Meza, Brian Jacobson, Tim Connors, Bobbi Walker, Tracy Shaffer and Veronica Montoya.

I guess when you’ve got a ripped set of abs, it pays to tear off your T-shirt so that everyone can see.

The abs have it: Chip Carney, who is with the Avon Fire Department, is a contender for a spot on the 2011 Colorado Firefighter Calendar

It worked for me — and the 800 or so others who crowded into EXDO Event Center last Friday night to check out the 37 men and women hoping to be Mr. July or Ms. October on the 2011 Colorado Firefighters Calendar. The contenders first appeared in their standard uniforms to face a barrage of questions — some straightforward, others filled with double entendres — posed by a panel of judges that included Chris Parente from The Deuce, Dr. Steven Moulton of The Children’s Hospital Burn Center, 9News meterologist Becky Ditchfield, Westword’s Nancy Levine and me. Katie Monahan of Comcast also was a judge, so designated after bidding $1,200 in a live auction conducted as the event began.

Looks definitely matter in this contest, and so after the questions had been asked and answered, the firefighters changed into their bunkers and returned to wow the judges in ways that ranged from bribery (candy kisses, long-stemmed roses, even pairs of thong panties) to one-armed push-ups.

The panel scored each of them on a 1-to-10 scale, and the winners will be notified after Kirsten Hamling, founder and executive director of Fired Up for Kids, totals everything up. Their names will be made public when the calendar debuts in late summer/early fall.

The first Colorado Firefighter Calendar came out six years ago and has raised $350,000 for The Children’s Hospital Burn Unit.

Those hoping for a spot on the 2011 calendar, and their departments, were:

Judi Wagner, left, and Christine Grumm, president and chief executive officer of the Women's Funding Network. Photo by Jon Wollenhaupt, Special to The Denver Post

At a luncheon today, the Women’s Funding Network gave Denver philanthropist Judith (Judi) Wagner its Changing the Face of Philanthropy Award for her outstanding commitment to helping girls and women reach their highest level of achievement. Jean Lind Herberger of Arizona also was honored at the global conference now underway in Denver.

Wagner, said Women’s Funding Network president/CEO Christine Grumm, “Models feminist philanthropy every day via her financial support of women and girls that are advancing girls and the women’s agenda, and via her passion for the work. She knows that social investment in women and girls translates to a stronger community overall. She is one of the most active donors in the global women’s funding movement.”
The Women’s Funding Network is an international organization made up of some 155 women’s foundations and women’s funds, including the Women’s Foundation of Colorado.

Wagner is a founding member of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, and has held leadership positions in it for over 20 years. In addition, she has provided significant support to such women- and girl-focused organizations as Girl Scouts, the Center for Women’s Health Research, Colorado Trust and Big Sisters.
Herberger, of Phoenix, was recognized for being a voice for women and girls in Arizona for more than 40 years; she is the founder of Arizona Women’s Employment and Education, which fosters education and employment opportunities for women. And, like Wagner, Herberger has raised millions of dollars to support the empowerment of women and girls, including the lead gift that paved the way for a $10 million endowment for the Arizona Women’s Foundation.

Word today is that 1,800 seats have been sold for Saturday night’s dinner and concert, along with another 2,400 concert-only admissions. Tickets were expensive — they started at $5,000 for a table of 10 and topped out at $200,000 — but the fabulous response should mean that the goal of raising $2.5 million in celebration of Denver Health’s 150th birthday is a done deal.

Plans for the black-tie happening are under the direction of Lisa and Bruce Alexander, Sharon Magness Blake and Ernie Blake and Jean and Dr. Ben Galloway. Garth Brooks, who recently ended his retirement from country music, is a personal friend of the Blakes.

The Child Life Zone is a 3,300-square-foot, state-of-the-art therapeutic and educational refuge for Denver Health’s pediatric patients and their families. It will serve as the centerpiece for Denver Health’s new Child Life discipline, and marks the hospital’s expansion into providing children with emotional support and effective coping through play, preparation, education and self-expression activities.

It is the seventh one that the two foundations have funded at U.S. hospitals; plans are underway for the first international Child Life Zone to open at Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Besides the date and ticket price, what generates the most talk when it comes to planning a fundraising gala?
The location.
But for the men and women behind Kaleidoscope Ball: Through the Eyes of a Child, location was a subject on which everyone could agree. It would be held at the new Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Denver’s Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, and it would be held on Aug. 21, which is right before the facility welcomes its first patient.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind event being held in a one-of-a-kind location,” observed Faye Washington at the kickoff party held at Strings. “We will utilize every square inch of the hospital; how cool is that?”
Faye is chairing the gala with her husband, Dr. Reginald Washington, the hospital’s chief medical officer, and Dr. and Mrs. Manning Mauldin. Margie Mauldin, president of Executive Forum, is a member of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation board; her husband is a retina specialist.
Proceeds will go to Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation, whose executive director, Patricia Peterson, was at the kickoff to explain that the foundation “Doesn’t fund bricks and mortar. The money we raise goes to needy kids and their families, to help them with expenses relating to their health needs.” The foundation also helps staff caregivers with continuing education costs.Sharon Whiton Gelt chaired the kickoff party and was standing by to welcome the 100 or so who stopped by to enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while learning more about the gala.
The guests included Mimi Roberson, president and CEO of Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center and Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children; Steve and Shannon Bangert; David Goldberg; Mort and Edie Marks; Janet Adams; Scott and Louise Richardson; Janet Buckner; Jaylene Smith; Steve Edmonds; Cindi Burge; Jennifer O’Neill; Lynne Hamstra; Liz Ryan; Monica Owens; Auna Jornayvaz; Quinn Washington; and Danielle LaCabe.
Several members of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation board also attended, including chairwoman Debra Roads, a pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner; treasurer Jim Conley, president of Colorado Business Bank Tech Center; and Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.
Further information about the gala can be obtained by calling Patricia Peterson, 303-839-6829, or visiting RMchildren.org